Work machines (such as bulldozers, motor graders or the like) include blades, buckets or other implements used to dig dirt, rock, gravel or the like that may be encountered by the work machine, or to grade or contour a work surface over which the work machine is traveling. The work machine will have a corresponding machine pitch (rotation about a transverse axis when traveling uphill, downhill or horizontal) and machine roll (rotation about a longitudinal axis when traveling on the side of a mound or hill). The implement of the work machine, which is typically configured at the front of track-type bulldozers, excavators or similar machines and at a middle position between the front and rear wheels on motor graders, will have an implement vertical position and an implement roll relative to a body or frame of the work machine, and may also have an adjustable implement pitch. The work machines do not always have an adequate display or system that allows an operator of the work machine to easily determine whether the blade is aligned properly relative to the work machine to properly perform a work operation on the work surface. When the work machine is in the process of using the implement to dig up material from the work surface, the operator may often lose sight of the implement as it goes below grade or lose sight of the implement due to visual obstruction by other components of the work machine. When the operator loses sight of the implement, it may become harder for the operator to determine the implement's position with respect to the work machine, and the position of the implement relative to the work surface.
Current work machines of this type with digging implements do not have displays to indicate the orientation of the implement with respect to the orientation of the work machine. Instead, a series of indicators or numbers may be utilized to indicate the pitch and roll of the work machine, and the elevation and roll of the blade. In one example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,322,147, discloses an information display device that is mounted in a construction machine that displays various types of information of the construction machine. A blade is arranged in front of the body of the construction machine. The display devices show a plurality of icons that are expressed by a numerical value. With such display devices, the operator of the work machine may have to be cognizant of these indicators when attempting to determine whether the implement is positioned properly with respect to the work machine and the work surface. The operator may accordingly find it difficult to operate the work machine and accurately perform the work operation while remaining cognizant of the indicators. As a result, it may be harder for the operator to precisely determine whether the implement has the proper position and orientation during a digging or lifting operation. The operator may not have a consistent sight of the implement when digging, lifting and other excavation operations. In some instances, the operator may stop the work machine temporarily to determine the actual implement position and orientation, thereby increasing the time and reducing the efficiency of performing the work operations.
An additional problem with the operator having difficulty determining the position and orientation of the blade is the operator potentially not knowing when to terminate an excavation operation. The operator may perform a digging or lifting operation that is too long or too short as a result of trying to estimate the implement elevation and roll. As a result, the work operation may need to be performed again if the work surface has not be excavated properly.